Knob



Nov. 8, 1966 R. s. WATERS 3,283,609

KNOB

Filed July 16, 1964 FIGJ.

WITNESSES INVENTOR flfl Robert 8. Waters BY 8% W\\ NM ATTORNEY United States Patent KNOB Robert S. Waters, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 16, 1964, Ser. No. 383,034 2 Claims. (Cl. 74-545) This invention relates in general to knobs and has particular reference to a knob adapted for mounting in a confined place.

Various parts of mechanical apparatuses are commonly controlled through manipulation of -a lever or shaft which is mechanically linked to the controlled part at one end and to a control knob at the other end. Heretofore, knobs of the prior art have been provided which are fastened to the lever or shaft by set screws or molded on the end of the lever. Knobs of these types have been found to be unsatisfactory in general because those knobs fastened by set screws are prone to becoming loose and eventually falling off while those which are molded to the lever or shaft require a relatively large and expensive die, since the whole shaft must be put into the die. Furthermore, knobs of these types are unsatisfactory for use in confined places, where utilization of set screws is not possible. With respect to levers are shafts which must be mounted first and then have the knob installed, obviously it would not be feasible to first mold the knob on the lever nor would it be possible to perform the molding operation in the confined space.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a new and improved knob adapted for mounting in confined places.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new and improved self-retaining knob which can be removably secured to an offset control lever or shaft, without the aid of auxiliary fasteners such as set screws.

Another object of this invention is to provide a knob which is adapted to be readily mounted on an offset lever and which is adapted to resist forces in two directions which tend to remove it.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved knob which can be inexpensively produced by simple manufacturing methods.

Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the above cited objects by providing a plastic knob having a vertical cylindrical hole molded therein which starts at the bottom of the knob and is of sufficient length to accommodate the vertical leg of an offset lever. A keyhole shaped slot molded in the bottom of the knob intersects the vertical hole at a right angle. The slot comprises a cylindrical portion for receiving the horizontal leg of an offset axial lever portion and a substantially rectangular portion which is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the lever, the side walls of the rectangular portion of the slot being sufliciently flexible for allowing the horizontal leg of the offset axial lever portion to pass into the cylindrical portion of the slot. The side walls are adapted to serve in resisting vertical forces applied to the knob thereby preventing removal of the knob in the vertical direction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a vaccum cleaner incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line Ill-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a self-retaining knob mounted on an offset control lever.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a suction cleaner which, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, has been selected merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention. The cleaner which is of the type commonly referred to as an upright is mounted on rear wheels 11 and front wheels (not shown) for enabling it to be wheele-d about. The cleaner is adapted to be raised or lowered, with respect to the surface being cleaned, by an offset or L-shaped control lever or shaft 12 (FIG. 2). As viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lever 12 is disposed in an arcuate recess 13 formed in the cleaner housing.

The offset or L-shaped lever 12, made from any suitable material, for example, wire or the like, comprises a horizontal segment 14 and a vertical segment 15, adapted to receive a control knob 16.

The knob 16, made from any suitable material, for example, plastic or the like, comprises a body member 9 which is provided with a vertical cylindrical hole 17 for receiving the vertical segment 15 of the lever and a keyhole shaped slot 18 for receiving the horizontal segment 14 of the lever (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The hole 17, which starts at the bottom of the knob, is intersected at a right angle by the slot 18 which opens through the 'bottom of the knob (see FIGS. 2 and 4). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the hole 17 may be molded horizontally in the knob while the slot may be molded vertically therein, the end result being the same. Furthermore, the hole and slot need not be mutually perpendicular nor horizontal or vertical.

The slot 18 provides a pair of cars 19 (FIGS. 3 and 4) which define a pin portion 20 and a bit portion 21 of the keyhole slot, (see FIG. 4). The distance between the side walls of the bit portion of the slot is less than the diameter of the lever horizontal segment 14, the distance between the side walls of the pin portion being approximately the same as the diameter of the horizontal segment 14. Since the knob is molded of plastic, the side walls of the slot are flexible enough to permit the horizontal segment 14 to pass through the bit portion 21 into the pin portion 20, simultaneously as the vertical segment 15 is received in the vertical hole 17. Once the horizontal segment is received in the pin portion the side Walls of the bit portion return to their normal position (FIG. 3) and serve to reset vertical forces tending to remove the knob.

The side walls of the slot are flared as indicated at 22 to facilitate the mounting of the knob onto the lever 12. The knob can be mounted on the lever from above by inserting the vertical segment 15 in the vertical hole 17 and pushing the knob downwardly as viewed in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 until the knob snaps over the horizontal segment 14 whereby the latter is received in the pin portion of the keyhole shaped slot. Furthermore, the vertical fit of the lever in the knob keeps the latter in an upright position and is effective to resist the horizontal forces necessary to rotate the lever within the arcuate recess 13.

It will be apparent that there has been disclosed a knob which is adapted to be mounted in confined places and which is self-retaining, requring no auxiliary fastening means to retain it in place.

While there has been shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications thereto will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangement shown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with an oifset lever having a pair of integral segments disposed at substantially a right angle, one segment being provided with a free end, a knob, said knob comprising: a body member including an elongated substantially cylindrical hole therein extending from one surface of said body member, a slot in said one surface delineated by a pair of resilient spaced apart Walls, said slot extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said elongated hole, said hole being adapted to receive the free end of said one of said segments and said resilient walls being movable in opposite directions by the other of said segments upon insertion thereof into said slot and further being adapted to retain said other of said segments in said slot.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wheren said walls cooperate to provide said slot with a pin portion and a bit portion, said bit portion being nearer said one surface than said pin portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1915 Pelton 74-579 3/1943 Sladky 74503 FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner.

BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Examiner.

W. S. RATLIIFF, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH AN OFFSET LEVER HAVING A PAIR OF INTEGRAL SEGMENTS DISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY A RIGHT ANGLE, ONE SEGMENT BEING PROVIDED WITH A FREE END, A KNOB, SAID KNOB COMPRISING: A BODY MEMBER INCLUDING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLE THEREIN EXTENDING FROM ONE SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER, A SLOT IN SAID ONE SURFACE DELINEATED BY A PAIR OF RESILIENT SPACED APART WALLS, SAID SLOT EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ELONGATED HOLE, SAID HOLE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE FREE END OF SAID ONE OF SAID SEGMENTS AND SAID RESILIENT 